America’s Happiest Employees Work at These 25 Companies

Though the traditional saying is “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life,” another equally valid bit of advice is to work for a wonderful company and you’ll probably love your job, even if it isn’t necessarily your passion.

To discover just which companies are indeed wonderful employers, Comparably, a website that collects data about workplace cultures and compensation, analyzed anonymous data from millions of people across the country and came up with a list of 25 companies with the happiest employees. The survey covered topics including compensation, work-life balance, perks and benefits, and overall culture through questions like “On a scale of one to 10, how likely are you to recommend your company to a friend?” and “Are you proud to be a part of your company?”

The list below includes companies with more than 500 employees, at least 75 of whom participated in the survey. Though recognizable corporations like LinkedIn, Microsoft, and Google all ranked within the top 25, the top spot was taken by Zoom Video Communications, a California-based tech company that provides video and audio conferencing services to other businesses. And it appears that Costco employees, regardless of what might go on behind the scenes, are happy enough overall to rank third.

While sunny California boasts an impressive nine companies on this list, the hustle and bustle of New York seems to do little for employees’ happiness—UiPath, a software company that specializes in robotics, was the only New York-based company to rank at all.

You can peruse the full list below, and find out more about Comparably’s research methodology here.

Zoom Video Communications (San Jose, CA)

LinkedIn (Sunnyvale, CA)

Costco (Issaquah, WA)

HubSpot (Cambridge, MA)

Microsoft (Redmond, WA)

UiPath (New York, NY)

Workfront (Lehi, UT)

H-E-B (San Antonio, TX)

Insight Global (Atlanta, GA)

T-Mobile (Bellevue, WA)

Wells Fargo (San Francisco, CA)

Dynatrace (Waltham, MA)

Quatrics (Provo, UT)

Google (Mountain View, CA)

Trimble (Sunnyvale, CA)

Southwest Airlines (Dallas, TX)

Smile Brands (Irvine, CA)

Northside Hospital (Atlanta, GA)

Intuit (Mountain View, CA)

Sunrun (San Francisco, CA)

LogMeIn (Boston, MA)

Stanley Black & Decker (New Britain, CT)

Phenom People (Ambler, PA)

ADP (Roseland, NJ)

Salesforce (San Francisco, CA)

Though we don’t have the data on how often those companies allow their employees to work remotely, studies show that is one perk that does make people happier—and more productive.

This Smart Accessory Converts Your Instant Pot Into an Air Fryer

If you can make a recipe in a slow cooker, Dutch oven, or rice cooker, you can likely adapt it for an Instant Pot. Now, this all-in-one cooker can be converted into an air fryer with one handy accessory.

This Instant Pot air fryer lid—currently available on Amazon for $80—adds six new cooking functions to your 6-quart Instant Pot. You can select the air fry setting to get food hot and crispy fast, using as little as 2 tablespoons of oil. Other options include roast, bake, broil, dehydrate, and reheat.

Many dishes you would prepare in the oven or on the stovetop can be made in your Instant Pot when you switch out the lids. Chicken wings, French fries, and onion rings are just a few of the possibilities mentioned in the product description. And if you're used to frying being a hot, arduous process, this lid works without consuming a ton of energy or heating up your kitchen.

The lid comes with a multi-level air fry basket, a broiling and dehydrating tray, and a protective pad and storage cover. Check it out on Amazon.

For more clever ways to use your Instant Pot, take a look at these recipes.

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7 Online Tech Course Programs That Will Help You Build New Career Skills

It's always a good time to build new career skills, and with these tech-related courses, you can learn anything from the basics of Python to the ins and outs of G Suite. These courses will boost your knowledge of the digital world and help you put some valuable new bullet points on your resume. Many of these courses allow you to read through the materials for free, but if you want to take advantage of graded coursework and earn a certificate of completion to include on your LinkedIn profile or resume at the end, there will be a fee of anywhere from $39 to $49.

1. UI/UX Design Specialization

In this four-class specialization on UI/UX design, you’ll discover how to design digital experiences that users can navigate with ease. Over about four months, you’ll learn the basics of visual communication and you’ll be able to practice gathering user feedback to build intuitive, attractive websites and interfaces.

Sign upon Coursera to take all four courses in this specialization for $49 a month.

2. Python for Everybody

Python is quickly gaining ground as one of the most in-demand programming languages for employers. Plus, its fans say it’s highly readable and approachable for new programmers just starting to learn a coding language. If you want to understand the basics of Python, from 101 principles to more advanced database design, these courses will get you started.

Sign upon Coursera to take all five courses in this specialization for $49 a month.

3. Data Science Professional Certificate

Data science is one of the fastest growing professions in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In this nine-course professional certificate program, you’ll start by learning basic data science methodology before moving into how to use Python and SQL to analyze and visualize data to forecast future trends. IBM estimates that you’ll complete the entire certificate in about 10 months if you commit four hours per week, but the timing is flexible enough to suit any schedule.

Sign upon Coursera to take all nine courses in this specialization for $39 a month.

4. Computer Architecture

This course, taught by an electrical engineering professor at Princeton, teaches students how to design computer hardware that supports powerful software. But be forewarned: This is an advanced class intended for students with extensive knowledge in computer science. If you’re looking for a beginner-level course, this class—also from Princeton—may be a better fit.

5. AI for Everyone

If you’re worried that artificial intelligence will drive you out of the workforce, this course will help. Over the course of four weeks, you’ll learn the basics of what is and isn’t possible through AI—and you may even gain some ideas for how to use AI to augment your own career.

6. G Suite Administration Specialization

Become a Google Cloud expert with this series of courses put together by Google itself. Over about two months, you’ll learn management tactics and security guidelines for using Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, and Calendar. This specialization prepares participants to become G Suite administrators at their respective companies and organizations.

Sign upon Coursera to take all five courses in this specialization for $49 a month.

7. Introduction to Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is near the top of the list of skills employers are looking for, according to LinkedIn. In this introductory course, you’ll gain a basic understanding of cloud-based networks and get some practice working with IBM Cloud.

At Mental Floss, we only write about the products we love and want to share with our readers, so all products are chosen independently by our editors. Mental Floss has affiliate relationships with certain retailers and may receive a percentage of any sale made from the links on this page. Prices and availability are accurate as of the time of publication.